What would you put in a meal if wanted something special from each US state?
What would you put in a meal if wanted something special from each US state?
Late night thought on a road trip in the US and I can't stop think what an "All American meal with a great from every state" would consist of. Like something that a state is know for being exceptional in from beef to white tail to peaches to oastets to sunflowers to almonds to coffee. Even better it's something an average American could actually eat in one meal.
Extra bonus points include the greater US (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands)!
If others want to through other wide geographic/culture dishes like an EU, North African, all of China please do so too, it would be interesting to see too!
If you're putting 50+ things in one meal, you're definitely already eating American
Anywhere in the US you go, if they have a “California-style” anything it has avocado.
Every US state has official state foods, sometimes getting as specific as state vegetable, state dessert, state grape, etc.
This list should give you a head start: list of official US state foods
Man, that is both a huge list (I didn't even think about state mushrooms for example) and also surprising to see some states have none! You're right great heat start for a list.
I'm saying for AZ it would be prickly pear cactus jelly
Only 5 states with a non desert, prepared food, LA gumbo, CT pizza, OK has a whole meal, TX chilli, and NJ taylor swift sandwich
Grind up one of every official state bird, and make it into a hot dog.
Besides Rhode Island not a lot of state birds looking tasty 😅
But maybe on to something for options looking at state game birds, water fowl, and duck!
You're not gonna get much off a goldfinch
So much cardinal in there.
You could have a month (or quarter year) featuring food from the different states. Louisiana is known for boiled crabs and crawfish, as well as Cajun and creole cooking. Maryland is known for crab cakes. Utah is known for gelatin salads. Nebraska (Omaha) is known for its steaks. North Carolina is known for two distinct types of barbecue sauce.
And South Carolina has Mustard based BBQ!
I know, I was thinking just ingredients from each state, but all the different forms people have recommended makes me think you could take these ingredients and make a bunch of different styles of meals like you were saying.
To add to your list from others on here and some I thought of. Burritos, tacos, pasties, hotpots, stir fries, burgers, pho, sushi rolls, etc, because we have such a diversity of people here!
Oh man, bbq, there was a restaurant that did that well in Virginia that let you taste different styles of bbq sauce and seasonings from across the country. It was awesome! For NC are you talking about their sauce that doesn't have tomato is much stronger viniger flavor for it? Another interesting bbq is Alabama white bbq sauce which also forgoes tomato base and instead has a mayo and horseradish base!
I was speaking from personal experience in the states I mentioned, as well as everyone else responding to your post.
You can separate native recipes from recipes brought later by other cultures, but the only difference is native recipes were brought by the original settlers.
Burritos are an interesting example. In Mexican rural areas, burritos were plain, as the people didn't historically have access to spices. When the burrito was originally brought to Texas, the cooks added spices. Now, you can find burritos almost anywhere in the world, each city making them with their own flavor. Just like hot dogs and pizza.
North Carolina also has good Mexican cuisine due to immigration. Don't sleep on elote, tamales, or alambre in NC.
Minnesota is home to the juicy lucy, a cheeseburger with the cheese being cooked inside the patty. Serve that with a tater tot hot dish
you forgot lutefisk and lefse!
Not including Minnesota cheese would feel like a crime!
Maryland: blue crab, Old Bay, and soft shell blue crab.
All great! A seasoning should be super versatile in different recipes (I know people who would old bay on litterally anything too, so it probably would be the first time if it seemed weird).
Brisket. Tx.
Taylor brand Pork Roll.
No, stop. You're wrong.
Which state is that?
New Jersey
Jersey
The states can’t even agree on hot dogs and pizza. A meal representing everyone could feed a neighborhood. (And if you do make it, invite me!)
I think Pasties for Michigan.
Cherries in your coffee, cherries in your wine, cherries in your toothpaste, cherries all the time!
Colorado is known for its lamb, green chili, melons, and peaches.
If you put a peach in this meal, tho - that’s Georgia’s peach.
I would agree with that.
I think Georgia comes to mind for peaches
And Chili Colorado- not because it has any relation to the state but because it shares a name.
Love all those myself! Great choices to pick from
Gotta be pizza for Connecticut.
Interesting what makes Connecticut pizza stand out to you?
There is a particular style called New Haven apizza which has thin, crispy crust. It's baked in a very hot, usually coal-fired oven. It's the best.
Green Chile from Hatch, New Mexico.
Down to the city! Gotta order some from down there now!
Wisconsin cheese curds!
I'm so glad cheese curds are more popular then they were, they're great! I haven't had any fresh in Wisconsin but I bet they know how to make them best!
Bourbon.
Kentucky I can only assume. Great choice could used in cooking, sauce or you know as a drink!
Kentucky also has the Hot Brown and Derby Pie.
Derby pie is delicious.
The wiki someone posted mentions blackberry as the state fruit, which I didn't know but could definitely see. I have fond memories of picking blackberries outside so grandma could make blackberry cobbler.
As far as drinks go, we also have the Mint Julip and the Oaks Lily, which are basically signature drinks of the Kentucky Derby.
I'm in Ohio, and my reluctant suggestions for your meal would be Buckeyes (the chocolate-coated peanut butter candy, not the actual nut), that weird "Cincinnati-style" chili served over spaghetti noodles, and a big buttery ear of sweet corn. "Reluctant" because the idea of eating all 3 in one sitting really grosses me out, let alone in combination with anything else from any other state.
Buttery sweet corn feels super versatile in my mind for meals! Buckeyes as a or part of a larger desert maybe!
I love your enthusiasm and positivity even more than I love your clever username. I hope you get your epic American meal someday!
For the Virgin Islands, maybe go with salt fish, callaloo, and fungi (cornmeal & okra dumplings, not mushrooms).
Salt fish, and corn meal seem super versatile options!
Callaloo seems really interesting, but it is new to me, what plant(s) would you say would be the most best from the Virgin Islands for it? (If that question even makes sense, my ddg searches tell different places have different sources).
Alligator sausage
Man a couple states come to mind, which one do you think would have the best?
Louisiana, but they're a bit spicy.
Florida?
No not quite, gator sausage from Louisiana.
Burrito
Honestly I feel like a couple burritos could cover a lot of ingredients from places!